Abnormalities in the serum phospholipids fatty acid profile in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis - a pilot study

The fatty acid composition of serum phospholipids were analyzed in 20 patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis (11 with malnutrition and 9 with acceptable nutritional status); 25 healthy age and sex-matched adults were used as controls. Cirrhotic patients showed higher levels of palmitic acid and total saturated fatty acids than healthy subjects. Total n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), and levels of linoleic, dihomo-gama linolenic, arachidonic, and docosahexaenoic acid were significantly lower (p<0.001) in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis compared to healthy controls. Significant changes were also found between patients stratified according to nutritional status. In particular, the sum of n-3 PUFA was significantly lower (p<0.001) and ratio of n-6/n-3 fatty acids was higher (p<0.01) in malnourished patients when compared to the patients with acceptable nutritional status. Furthermore, important changes in the levels of saturated fatty acids, palmitoleic and oleic acid and long-chain PUFA were found in well-nourished patients with alcoholic cirrhosis as well. Our present data confirmed evidence that malnutrition is one of the factors that led to lower levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis. PUFA supplementation in the latter needs further investigation.